


Lies Stuck Inside Your Head

by KyeAbove



Series: The Reinforcement Of Agony AU [56]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Drunkenness, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Minor Injuries, Panic Attacks, Regret, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-04 15:23:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16349228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyeAbove/pseuds/KyeAbove
Summary: August 14th, 1934. Cade Vale, New York. Agony:ConsumingAfterSaints, Wally didn’t expect to wake up.





	Lies Stuck Inside Your Head

**Author's Note:**

> I thought it was time I finally addressed the ending of Saints in this series. So, Saints is very much required reading for this story.
> 
> Although I’m sure this will bring more questions than answers.

~August 14th, 1934~

* * *

Wally woke up to the littlest bits of the mind. He didn’t open his eyes, but his consciousness drifted in. He woke up, strained and lot less how he expected to wake in the afterlife. He remembered his last moments, seconds really, laying on the floor, and-

Panic set it, and Wally awoke fully. Letting out a fearful whimper, Wally shot up from the cot he was laying on, and tried to  _ calm-find-stop _ …!

It was a basic fear he felt now, unable to understand where he was, and what was happening around him. He remembered the pipe organ room, covered in blood, the  **_monster_ ** he encountered in the projectionist's booth, running,  _ running _ ,  _ falling _ . 

_ Laying on the floor,  _ **dying.**

Wally was warm now, and in some of his disorientation, he made out colors, but nothing more, and then he was back on the cot, staring at nothing. Back, and his mind came more into focus, and he was no longer staring at nothing. 

Joey was standing over him, looking all of a worried father. Worried for Wally. There was a recent scratch over his face. Had Wally…?

Still confused, Wally looked at his hands. One had little bits of blood near the fingernails. That’s what really pushed Wally over edge, and he cried and cried. WHAT WAS HAPPENING?!

**w** hy was he here? he was scared. he was supposed to be...hadn’t he?

Closer now, Wally barely noticed, Joey was caressing Wally’s face and wiping away his tears. Speaking, but Wally was unable understand any word he was saying. 

Wally was still alive, that much he could gather. Eventually he cried himself into some clarity, and with his second burst of energy, he sat up and hugged Joey around his waist, and cried and spoke into Joey’s suit jacket, while Joey changed his caressing into stroking his hair.

“There was a monster! I ran, and I fell...I thought I died.” Wally remembered his last and only panic. For nobody but himself. But he wasn’t by himself, was he? 

Joey chuckled, shaking his head.

“You did take a tumble, but luckily I found you. You’re mostly fine. You do have quite the head wound.” 

So it had been his confusion that made him think he was dying? That was somewhat of a relief. 

“The monster…?”

“Possibly a false image from ink fumes. I have been working you too hard lately too, haven’t I? I never thought it'd cause this.” Joey pulled Wally even closer to himself. “Probably the real reason you’ve been sick. Sometimes I forget you’re just a boy.” 

Even in his current state, Wally took offense to that. 

“Nah, I’m a man. I’m eighteen now. And I was the one-” Wally coughed, covering his next tumble of words, and making him aware of how much his head hurt.  

Seeing Wally was in pain, Joey pulled something from his suit pocket, and after unpopping the top, put the vial to Wally’s lips. Wally wasn’t sure what it was, and it tasted terrible, but his head pain slipped away with ease once it settled in his stomach.

“Feel any better?”   
  
“Yeah… just a little. Thanks.” Wally would ask what that was latter. For now he just wanted to drift off. He suddenly really wanted to sleep… “Are you sure I’m not dead? ‘Cause you haven’t been this nice in ages.”

Joey went a little rigid. 

“I haven’t?” Joey sounded so confused. Wally was a bit surprised Joey hadn’t realized.

“Yeah. I thought you stopped caring.” So this was really, really good. “You’ve been crazy. Mean to me. You weren’t exactly kind when you were telling me I’d made a huge mistake.”

The biggest mistakes of his life. But there was no going back on those times now.  
  
Mind coming into better focus, and recalling his often state, Wally looked around for something to throw up into, just in case. For once in a rare time, he didn’t feel nauseous, even a little. Not even from that awful tasting liquid. Still...off though. Not just sore from his fall.

Joey pulled a readied bucket from off the floor, and pulled away from Wally to hand it to him. Wally put the bucket on his lap, just in case.

The look in Joey’s eyes changed. “I’ve been working you so hard, even suspecting you were…” The look turned sad. “Even then, I faced the idea of losing you to death anyways.”

That fall had been bad, then hadn’t it? Joey was probably trying to play it down. Wally appreciated that. He really did.

“So, I really am dying, huh? You think?” Wally ran his fingers through his hair, feeling the bandages wrapped around his head. “I thought you were set on the other thing. I mean, you compared me to-”  
  
Joey put his hand on Wally’s shoulder, silencing him with the touch, and a honest look in his eyes.

“I was thinking, and now, I also recall having a similar illness when I was a bit younger than you. Didn’t kill me.” Joey smiled. “Don’t worry about it being the other thing, I believe I got you worked up for nothing.”

Wally nodded, not really accepting Joey’s claims, since he was sure...but a recoverable illness did sound much nicer than the alternatives. A weight lifted off Wally’s shoulder. One that had been growing for some time. 

“You’re awake!” 

The joyful cry came from the entrance of the Infirmary, and there was Wally’s beautiful fiance dashing for him. A little unsteady on his feet, but nobody was going to say a thing on that. 

Matt enveloped Wally in a hug, making an almost purring sound in all the happiness he was feeling. The kiss afterwards tasted of whiskey, but Wally didn’t care. 

Seeing that the couple didn’t plan to break away, Joey got off of the cot. Touching the scratch on his face, Joey felt even more lost and saddened. 

“Well, I’m going to leave you to your...thing. I’ll be back later.” Joey made quick work of leaving, wanting to have some time to himself. 

When Norman had brought Wally’s still body to him, pleading even as he knew Joey wasn’t going to let this slide, at least Joey had been able to save one life.

But at what cost?

**Author's Note:**

> Joey’s an utter scheming bitch. But hey, he cares about Wally, so that’s...something?


End file.
